I am looking at two Delta Industrial 10" Professional saws. They are believed to be 8 and 12 years old. The 8 year old has a plate on it that identifies Delta Manufacturing of Jackson, Tennessee, but there is a line right underneath that which is indistinct in the picture but clearly includes the word China. I think it was made in China and the 12 year old might have been made in the US. Can anybody tell me when Delta started manufacturing in China? I've read a lot of the company's history but it is not all that helpful. A lot of corporate speak and shareholder value and brand strength blah blah blah. I am determined to try to avoid made in China products in my new workshop. 25 year old Canadian made Generals are excellent buys but the only ones presently available have 3 phase motors so they're not going to work $.
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Delta
- Thread starter Paul A Andrews
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I believe Delta made the Unisaw in the U.S. Until just a couple/few years ago. There is likely information on Vintagemachinery.org in the wiki entries on Delta that will answer your questions. If you don't get an answer there or here try on owwm.org (old woodworking machines).
Doug
Doug
Lots of views but only one reply
Obviously it was a tough question. From what I have read the transition was gradual beginning first with parts and eventually to assembly. I did what Doug, the only responder, suggested but no luck. I'll move on.
Obviously it was a tough question. From what I have read the transition was gradual beginning first with parts and eventually to assembly. I did what Doug, the only responder, suggested but no luck. I'll move on.
Paul, you can use the 3phase Generals by using a VFD, variable frequency drive, to convert the power. They are pretty amazing little devices. Doug
Adding some info here: http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/VFD Frequent Questions.ashx
Adding some info here: http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/VFD Frequent Questions.ashx
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Delta has a very long history of being bought and sold by various companies. I think that their web site has a somewhat abbreviated history of the company, but if you go to the Vintage Machinery site, I think that there might be more detailed information, also possibly Wikipedia.
When I first became interested in Delta woodworking machines, they were a division of Pentair and I believe that their headquarters was still in Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to that they had been a part of Rockwell International and headquartered in Milwaukee, WI and the Delta name had been dropped and the machines were branded as Rockwell. Pentair acquired Invicta a Brazilian manufacturer. Invicta manufactured some of the machines like trhe big jointer and planers which were branded Invicta Delta. I have a jointer and a planer that are Invicta Delta machines.
I think that it was somewhere in the early or mid 1990's that Delta moved from Pittsburgh to Memphis, TN. At about the same time, most of the manufacturing went to Taiwan, ROC. I have a Delta Unisaw that I got in the early 1990's that is labeled as "Made in USA", but I know that most of the cast iron parts were made in Taiwan.
Around ten years ago Pentair sold Delta to Black & Decker which also owned the DeWalt name and had also acquired Porter-Cable in Jackson, TN. It wasn't too much later that Delta moved from Memphis to Jackson so that it was collocated with Porter-Cable. As far as I know, Porter-Cable tools continued to be made in the USA, but I think that the Delta tools were mostly made in Taiwan, Mexico, and other countries outside the USA. Approximately five years ago Stanley acquired Black & Decker and decided to spin off Delta which had been on the decline ever since being treated like an unwanted stepchild by Black & Decker. A group of Taiwan investors were interested in reviving the Delta name so they bought the tooling and whatever else was left of Delta and moved it to Anderson, SC.
I think that when B&D combined Delta, DeWalt, and Porter-Cable, some the branding was changed and depending on what type of saw you are talking about, it might have originally been branded as a DeWalt saw. In addition to the Unisaw which was Delta's flagship cabinet saw, they also made a couople smaller cabinet saws as well as some contractor style saws. DeWalt also had some contractor style saws. However, I think that all of the contractor saws were 7 or 8 inches whereas the Delta cabinet saws were all 10 inches. Based on the age of the two saws, I am certain that neither is made in the USA.
When I first became interested in Delta woodworking machines, they were a division of Pentair and I believe that their headquarters was still in Pittsburgh, PA. Prior to that they had been a part of Rockwell International and headquartered in Milwaukee, WI and the Delta name had been dropped and the machines were branded as Rockwell. Pentair acquired Invicta a Brazilian manufacturer. Invicta manufactured some of the machines like trhe big jointer and planers which were branded Invicta Delta. I have a jointer and a planer that are Invicta Delta machines.
I think that it was somewhere in the early or mid 1990's that Delta moved from Pittsburgh to Memphis, TN. At about the same time, most of the manufacturing went to Taiwan, ROC. I have a Delta Unisaw that I got in the early 1990's that is labeled as "Made in USA", but I know that most of the cast iron parts were made in Taiwan.
Around ten years ago Pentair sold Delta to Black & Decker which also owned the DeWalt name and had also acquired Porter-Cable in Jackson, TN. It wasn't too much later that Delta moved from Memphis to Jackson so that it was collocated with Porter-Cable. As far as I know, Porter-Cable tools continued to be made in the USA, but I think that the Delta tools were mostly made in Taiwan, Mexico, and other countries outside the USA. Approximately five years ago Stanley acquired Black & Decker and decided to spin off Delta which had been on the decline ever since being treated like an unwanted stepchild by Black & Decker. A group of Taiwan investors were interested in reviving the Delta name so they bought the tooling and whatever else was left of Delta and moved it to Anderson, SC.
I think that when B&D combined Delta, DeWalt, and Porter-Cable, some the branding was changed and depending on what type of saw you are talking about, it might have originally been branded as a DeWalt saw. In addition to the Unisaw which was Delta's flagship cabinet saw, they also made a couople smaller cabinet saws as well as some contractor style saws. DeWalt also had some contractor style saws. However, I think that all of the contractor saws were 7 or 8 inches whereas the Delta cabinet saws were all 10 inches. Based on the age of the two saws, I am certain that neither is made in the USA.
I'm far from being very knowledgeable on this subject, but have several Delta shop tools.....and, here's what I think.
My table saw is vintage, and was made sometime in the 1950's.....it's American made.
The 6x48/12" disk free standing sander is a Rockwell/Delta, and was purchased new in the early 1980's. I believe this was made in Canada.
The floor standing drill press was purchased sometime in the late 1980's, and I believe it was likely made in Taiwan. It looks identical to the Jet drill presses of the same era.
My Delta 8" grinder was purchased about 2005, and likely made outside of the USA.
The big switch to the Orient for manufacturing was in the 1980's and that seems to be the time period when you might find much of the Delta line was changing manufacturing locations.
ko
My table saw is vintage, and was made sometime in the 1950's.....it's American made.
The 6x48/12" disk free standing sander is a Rockwell/Delta, and was purchased new in the early 1980's. I believe this was made in Canada.
The floor standing drill press was purchased sometime in the late 1980's, and I believe it was likely made in Taiwan. It looks identical to the Jet drill presses of the same era.
My Delta 8" grinder was purchased about 2005, and likely made outside of the USA.
The big switch to the Orient for manufacturing was in the 1980's and that seems to be the time period when you might find much of the Delta line was changing manufacturing locations.
ko